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Boston runners are honored in Edmond

Boston Strong Run, an informal marathon of three miles, was held in Edmond and across the United States to honor the Boston Marathon bombing victims. Edmond runner Jena Walla felt compassion for the victims and wanted to do something.

EDMOND — A desire to pay tribute to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings turned into an event that brought local runners to downtown Edmond for the Boston Strong Run.

Edmond runners begin a three-mile run through Edmond Monday in honor of the Boston Marathon bombing victims. PHOTOs BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN

The Boston Strong Run started online with a blogger in California. Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook all helped to rapidly grow the idea to include more than 80 cities holding tribute runs a week after the April 15 attack in Boston.

Many of the 80-plus Edmond runners on Monday were wearing red socks in recognition of the Boston Marathon runners as they made a three-mile loop within the city. Some of the Edmond runners will be wearing their red socks Sunday in the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.

Others were wearing green “Oklahomans Run 4 Boston” T-shirts in the informal memorial run in Edmond.

“There were smiles and a cool atmosphere,” said Jena Walla, one of the organizers. “There were a lot of families with kids that hadn't run before, and they got to run with mom and dad.”

Walla, a member of the Edmond Red Dirt Running Club, said she wanted to do something for the runners in Boston so she took to the Internet and learned about the Boston Strong Run.

Walla ran her first full marathon in Kansas the day before the Boston Marathon bombings and said she felt a strong compassion for the injured runners.

“I was so upset,” Walla said. “I knew all the emotions. I just wanted to do something.”

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by Diana Baldwin

Sr. Reporter

Diana Baldwin has been an Oklahoma journalist since 1976 and came to The Oklahoman in 1991. She covered the Oklahoma City bombing and covered the downfall of Oklahoma City police forensic chemist Joyce Gilchrist misidentifying evidence. She wrote...